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Morality Demonstrated by Edgar and Cordelia in “King Lear”

There are various moments in the play, which demonstrate the morality of Edgar. He portrays a great sense of moral kindness when he assists his blind father despite all the tribulations he had caused him. Edgar’s father, Gloucester, had disowned him following falsehoods perpetrated by Edmund. Instead of his father making an effort to confirm those accusations, he falsely accused his son of being guilty and expelled him from home. Edgar portrays sincere kindness when he comes to the protection of his father by killing a man who tries to capture him. Edgar’s compassion and morality are also revealed when he rescues his father who was about to fall from the cliff misdirecting and lying to him that he had survived a fall from the highest point of the mountain. This demonstrates that Edgar could not stand seeing his father getting harmed or injured. This demonstrates an incredible attachment between father and son. It also shows that Edgar had great empathy for his blind father regardless of the fact that he had disowned him.

 

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Edgar also portrays adulation towards his father when he reveals himself despite the blindness of his father. Edgar must have been touched by the utterances of Gloucester when they were together. His father demonstrated frustrations after he realized his mistake of expelling his son from home. “O dear son Edgar… Might I but live to see thee in my touch, / I'd say I had eyes again” (4.1.24-26). These words rejuvenated modest and decorous feelings that Edgar had towards his father and society. The decision of Edgar to become a guide to Lear and to his father Gloucester is manifestation of enormous heartedness and responsibility. He proves that he has no ill feelings against his father even after he rejected him and subjected his own son to cruel treatment before sending him away.

Edgar personifies an agent of hope when he chose to deceive his father that he had fallen from the cliff and survived. It rejuvenated a sense of love and kindness to Gloucester who got a renewed interest and hope in life since his son brightly showed that it is immoral to lack hope and sense of life’s direction. Edgar embodies a lot of encouragement for the distraught society. There is need for a fighting spirit in oneself in order to overcome life’s atrocities. His actions elucidate that it is unfair and unwarranted to revenge. Edgar symbolizes success against adversity, which can be interpreted as a reward for his honest and sincere deeds of generosity and compassion. He finally becomes a ruler of Britain, which could not be contemplated initially owing to his challenges and hardships in life after being ejected by his father. He portrayed great personal sacrifice by living in disguise as a lunatic despite the wealth of his father. This was a result of insincerity of his step-brother. It is a vivid example that close friends, relatives and confidants can turn against someone for their own selfish demands. Despite the unscrupulous behavior of his half-brother, he still embraces him later, and they forge ahead. This reflects a noble deed of forgiveness, which we should extend to others despite any despicable behaviors they may have evinced towards people. This creates a just society that accommodates morality, which determines the daily norms and values that should be kept by everyone. Such a society has a high value for life.

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Cordelia, being one of King’s daughters, has great affection and love for her father, which could not be demonstrated through words. When her father asks the daughters to aver their love to him through words, Cordelia cannot express her love to her father in words. It becomes clear when she asserts, “What shall Cordelia speak? / Love and be silent” (1.1.63-64). Her lack of description of the great adoration and cherish she had for her father was misjudged for hate. It was construed by her father to be a show of lack of respect and regard to him, which resulted in her eviction from home. It also resulted in loss of all her inheritance. Cordelia knew she had unwavering love for her father but her honesty and courtesy made her not turn to deception in order to compete with dishonest and vile sisters.

The nature and beliefs of Cordelia in honesty and love to her father are also displayed through the acts of compassion she demonstrates later when she meets her insane father. This is shown by her utterances, “O my dear father, restoration hang/ Thy medicine on my lips/ And let this kiss Repair those violent harms that my two sisters Have in reverence made” (4.7.26-28). Under normal circumstances, Cordelia could have demonstrated some sense of anger and revenge due to earlier acts of hatred and resentment that her father had applied against her. Gloucester perpetrated the worst injustices that a parent can cause to his child for no good reason.

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Cordelia also demonstrates immense devotion and ardency to her father when they reunite during and after their imprisonment by Albany’s army. Her kind and generous deeds towards her father are depicted through the exclamations her father made, “He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven/ And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes; the good years shall devour them, flesh and fell” (4.3.22-24). Lear is overwhelmed by the meritorious and conscientious acts of kindness portrayed by his daughter ever since he ejected her from his home.

 

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